This invention relates to a quick-changeover blood handling apparatus, and in particular to an apparatus for handling a patient's blood during a medical procedure which is convertible for use in blood collection after the procedure.
There are instances where one blood handling device would be used for a patient during a medical procedure, and another blood handling or collecting device would be needed for post-procedure care. For example, in the case of heart surgery, a blood reservoir is used as part of the blood recovery and oxygenation system. After the procedure, a separate autotransfusion reservoir might be used to collect the patient's blood from the surgical wound for reuse, and/or another reservoir might simply be used to collect blood drained from the surgical wound for disposal. Several "convertible" devices are available that can be used both as a blood reservoir during surgery and a pleural drainage unit after surgery. These devices provide several advantages: they eliminate the need for dedicated pleural drainage devices; they minimize the amount of disposable equipment that is used (and must be disposed of); they are more economical; and they reduce staff-time associated with setting up multiple devices. Moreover, many of these devices allow for autotransfusion of the collected blood, reducing risk to the patient and reducing the demand for blood products.
However, to varying degrees these devices have also suffered from one significant draw-back: the conversion of these devices from use as a surgical blood reservoir to a drainage unit or to an autotransfusion device is time consuming and complex. Many of these devices come with pages of detailed instructions that the nursing staff is expected to follow to properly disconnect and cap the numerous connectors required for use as a surgical blood reservoir. Some of these devices even require special kits, with further instructions and additional parts that must be set aside and later installed, to make the conversion. This increases the pressure on the nursing staff to quickly and accurately make the conversion. Furthermore, each tube connection that must be undone and capped increases the chance of blood splattering the medical staff, with the attendant risk of spreading disease, such as hepatitis and AIDS.